


Learning Curves

by PaintingWithWords (paint_with_words)



Series: Learning Curves [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Astronomy, BAMF Katsuki Mari, Baseball, Character's Name Spelled as Viktor, Chubby Katsuki Yuuri, Complete, Falling In Love, First Woman in Major League Baseball, Gen, Illustrated, Long-Haired Victor Nikiforov, M/M, Mari as Japan's Ace, World Series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-07 23:50:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16418408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paint_with_words/pseuds/PaintingWithWords
Summary: Yuuri Katsuki is used to being in the shadow of his older sister.  It’s not easy being the younger brother of Mari Katsuki, Japan’s Ace, the first woman to ever play major league baseball in America.  He’s a math major in his last year of college when he decides to take an astronomy course as an elective and meets the gorgeous TA for the course, Viktor Nikiforov.But there are a few bumps on the road.  Yuuri thinks Chris, Viktor’s roommate, is his boyfriend.  Viktor thinks Phichit, Yuuri’s roommate, is his boyfriend.  It’s not until halfway through the semester that they figure out that the assumptions they’d made were incorrect.  Both of their lives will change forever, but that’s what happens when you meet the love of your life.





	1. Area Under The Curve

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Adrianna99](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adrianna99/gifts), [eroska](https://archiveofourown.org/users/eroska/gifts).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yuuri and Viktor meet and discover they have a few things in common.

 

 

“Is this your new car?” Phichit exclaimed as they walked through the airport parking lot to Yuuri’s new Accord.  “Mari’s got good taste!”

“Yes, this is it,” Yuuri said, feeling self-conscious.  He would never have bought such an expensive car for himself.  It was nice, _really_ nice, although he didn’t need all the extras this car came with.  But Mari had been insistent.  Nothing but the best for her little brother.

“I wish I had a sister who’d buy me a nice new car when mine broke down,” Phichit said after they loaded his bags into the trunk.  “It even smells new!”

“Come on, let’s go home,” Yuuri said, hitting the push start.  The car purred to life, something he could not always count on his old car to do.  When the repair shop had said he needed a new starter, Mari had instead bought him a new car.  He liked his old car, even if it wasn’t always reliable.  Now, with a brand new car, he looked like he was attending school on his parents’ money, as people put it, and he disliked that perception.  He had earned his own way here on scholarships, and he didn’t like people thinking he was freeloading off his parents.

In reality, if he was freeloading off of anyone, it was his sister.  And he didn’t want to do that either.

When they got back to the apartment, Yuuri made sandwiches while Phichit tended to his hamsters, cooing sweetly to them in his room.  Yuuri had lunch ready when Phichit returned to the kitchen.   Phichit washed his hands and took a seat on one of the stools at the bar.

“Did you get signed up for all your classes?” Phichit asked in between bites.  “I got mine, but it was a pain doing it from Bangkok.  I had to get up at 2 am!”

Yuuri nodded in sympathy.  Once he’d had to register for classes while he was in Japan and had a similar experience.  He reached over and pulled up his course schedule on his phone. 

“I got into all of mine right away,” Yuuri said.  “None of them were waitlisted this time.”

“That’s good,” Phichit replied.  “Dealing with a waitlisted class is a pain in the ass.  What are you taking this semester?”

“Linear Algebra, Number Theory, Roman History, and Astronomy,”  Yuuri answered. 

“Astronomy?” Phichit said, raising an eyebrow.  “Why are you taking Astronomy?”

“I’m taking it as an elective.”

“That should be an easy one,” Phichit said around a mouthful of sandwich. “Maybe I should sign up for it as well.  What do you do, sit around and look at the stars?”

“I don’t think so,” Yuuri replied. “And it’s an Astronomy course for math and science majors, so I don’t think you could take it.  Sorry.”

Phichit shrugged and took another bite.  Yuuri knew he was happy studying international business.

“Let me see if I’ve got this right,” Phichit mumbled.  “You’re taking an astronomy class where you’re probably going to do math, and you don’t even get to look at the stars?  Why in the hell would someone put themselves through that?  I mean, you take math courses every semester.  You’re already taking two this semester.  I get it- you’re a math major, that’s kind of what you do.  But now you’re taking an astronomy course that’s math-based as an _elective_?  That’s three math classes, Yuuri.  _Three_.  I love you, but sometimes I think you need professional help.”

“Come on, Phichit, math isn't that bad-” Yuuri began, only to be cut off by Phichit’s snort.

“Maybe if you’re a nerd,” Phichit deadpanned, “but for me?  _Hell_ no.  Anyway, have you decided what you’re wearing to Pride this year?  I got these in Bangkok for us.” Phichit pulled two plastic bags out of his backpack and set them down on the bar.  He pushed the smaller one towards Yuuri.  “Open it up.”

Yuuri found there were two handkerchiefs inside the bag that were perfect imitations of the Pride flag.  Smiling, he unfolded one and looked at it.

“Aren’t they cute?  We’ll match, no matter what,” Phichit said, smiling.  “I got something else for you, too.  Look in the other bag.”

Yuuri picked up the bag and opened it.  Inside were several cans of Pringles, with flavors only available in Thailand: crab, prawn, and seaweed.  Yuuri smiled and pulled them out and set them on the counter.

“I know it doesn’t make up for what that jerk did to your Kit Kats,” Phichit said quietly.  “Sorry about that.”

Yuuri knew he was referring to the guy Phichit brought home from the bar who proceeded to eat half of Yuuri’s Japanese Kit Kat stash in one sitting.  Yuuri had been so angry when he’d found the wrappers in the trash the next morning.  When Phichit had come to see what he was screaming about, he’d promptly thrown the guy out and tossed his clothes down to him over the balcony.  But the damage had been done.  His Kit Kats were gone.

“It’s okay,” Yuuri said, even though they both knew it wasn’t.  Those Kit Kats had been hard to come by, and his mother had saved them up for a year and sent them to him in January.  He rationed them out so they would last the entire year.  All of that careful planning had been ruined by a jerk in ten minutes.

“Thank you, Phichit.  We can eat them later.”

Phichit shook his head.  “Those are for you.  I had so many while I was back home I never want to see another one again.  Is there a game on tonight?”

“Yep,” Yuuri replied, eager for a change of subject.  “The Dodgers are playing the Astros.”

“They’ll beat them this time,” Phichit said.  “Mari will kick their asses.”

“She will if they leave her in the game the whole time.”  The last time they’d played the Astros, they’d lost, but Yuuri was certain that was because Mari had been pulled halfway through the game.  Had the coach left her in, she would have won.  The Dodgers would have won.  But it didn’t matter.  The Dodgers were doing well, and it looked as though they had a shot at the playoffs.  If they made the playoffs, then the World Series was a given.  And Yuuri really wanted to see his sister pitch in the World Series.

“That’s true,” Phichit answered as he put his plate in the dishwasher.  He yawned and stretched, then headed to his room.

“I’m gonna to take a nap,” he said.  “Wake me up when it’s time for the game, okay?”

Yuuri nodded and looked at his schedule again on his phone.  Tomorrow, if Phichit was recovered from his long flight, they could go pick up their textbooks.  Classes started in four days and he wanted to get a head start on the semester.

* * *

 

“What are we doing for Pride this year?” Chris asked from his spot on the couch.  Viktor loaded the dishes in the cupboard and sighed.

“I’m not sure.  I’d like to go, but it’s always so hot-”

“How could it be anything else with me there?” Chris replied, only half-joking.  Viktor rolled his eyes and continued putting up the dishes.

“Seriously, do you want to go?” Chris asked.  “Don’t duck out on me like you did last year.”

“Sure, we can go,” Viktor said, sitting down next to Chris on the couch and tucking a stray lock of hair behind his ear.

“Great!” Chris said.  “We’ll go to the bar afterwards.  The bar is always fun after Pride.”

Viktor smirked to himself.  That meant Chris intended to pick someone up and bring them home.  It was always the same.  Sometimes, he wished he could be as casual about things as Chris.  But he’d tried the causal thing before and it always left him feeling hollow inside.  Plenty of guys found him attractive, but none of them ever seemed to be interested in anything that lasted more than a couple of weeks.  And, frankly, Viktor was tired of it.  The bar scene was old.  Hell, _he_ was old.  But he could try to have some fun, if just for just one night.

He picked up the remote and started flipping through the channels.  There was the usual banal selection of sitcoms with canned laugh tracks, as well as a baseball game.  On the screen, a woman dressed in a white and blue uniform stood on the pitcher’s mound, a soft halo of bleached-blonde hair sticking out from under her cap and framing her very serious face.  The back of her shirt read KATSUKI 24. 

Viktor frowned.  Sports held no interest for him and he considered them a waste of time.  Intellectual achievements fascinated him, not physical ones.

Deciding to give up television for a lost cause, Viktor went to his room and looked over the course materials again.  This semester, he was going to be a Teaching Assistant for one of the new professors in the Astronomy department.  Celestino Cialdini was teaching the Intro to Stellar Astronomy specifically geared towards undergrads who majored in math and science.  Viktor was going to be one of his two TAs and would be responsible for grading homework assignments, tests, and also leading study sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Thankfully, he would still have plenty of time to pursue his own research regarding extrasolar planets.  Now it they could just get a little more data out of Kepler before it ran out of fuel or another of the wheels on the telescope broke, he’d be happy.

* * *

 

The first day of class was as chaotic as usual.  Yuuri knew where all his classes were and he was glad he was in his last year of college.  Three of his classes were in the same building, which made going from one class to another easy.  If only the other class wasn’t on the other side of campus.

Parking on campus was always a pain.  Even though he had a nice new car, thanks to his sister, there was no way he was going to try to park on campus every day.  There were only a few parking lots and they always filled up quickly.  He had it on pretty good authority that if you didn’t get a spot by 7am, you weren’t going to get one, unless you got lucky and showed up when someone was leaving.  No, it was better to take the shuttle bus, even if it was cramped.  His tuition paid for the service, so he might as well use it.  Plus, he had to pay for a parking permit.  Better to save the money or spend it on something he could actually use.

Yuuri got off the bus and walked towards the building where his math and astronomy classes would be held.  Roman history was all the way over by the Tower in one of the large auditorium classrooms.  He hated those classes.  “Cattle call classes”, Phichit called them, and he was right.  Some of those classrooms could hold 500 people.  He didn’t like the press of so many people all around him, but he did like the fact that he could just disappear in them. 

He got a coffee and a breakfast taco at the little café by the entrance and headed to his Linear Algebra class on the other side of the lobby.  It too was a large class in a large auditorium on the ground level.  Yuuri went inside, found a seat about halfway up, and did his best not to be noticed while he took notes for an hour. 

Yuuri’s next class was his Astronomy class.  He rode the escalator up to the next floor and sighed when he saw that this class wasn’t down one of the halls.  No, it was in the auditorium classroom at the end of the hall.  Frowning, he pulled his books up to his chest, tucked his head down, and headed inside.

The room wasn’t as big as he was afraid it’d be.  There were enough seats for maybe sixty students, if that.  At the front of the room, there was a blackboard, a pull down screen, and a podium.  Behind the podium were three men, two of them with long hair in ponytails.  The last one had a flat top that looked like it took way too much work.  Yuuri had to take a seat on the aisle this time, as all the seats in the middle were full, and did his best to become invisible.

When class started, the tallest and oldest of the men took a seat behind the podium and smiled broadly at the class.

“Welcome to Introduction to Stellar Astronomy,” he said.  “I’m your professor, Celestino Cialdini.  I’m new to the university this year and my field of research is galaxy formation.  This is a class especially for math and science majors, so we’ll go hard on the science and light on the…” 

Yuuri tried to focus on what the professor was saying.  He really did.  But the man with the pale blond hair standing behind him was really attractive and incredibly distracting.  Yuuri found himself staring at him.

“There are two TAs for this course,” Celestino said, gesturing to the two people next to him.  Yuuri didn’t catch what he said about the man with the flat top.  He was taken with the man standing beside him.  He was tall and slender, with long, ash blond hair and eyes the color of a tropical ocean.  And he was _beautiful_.  Yuuri’s breath caught in his throat and he tried to shrink down lower in his chair.  Had anyone heard him?

“This is my other TA,” Celestino said, “Viktor Nikiforov.”

“Viktor will be grading homework for those of you with last names A through M, so be sure to give him your homework on your way out when it’s due.  He will also be holding study hours on Tuesdays from 6-7pm.  Georgi will hold study hours on Thursdays from 6-7pm and will take homework from those of you with last names starting from N to Z.”

“Now that the introductions are out of the way, let’s get started, shall we?” Celestino said.  Yuuri pulled out his notebook and began to take notes.  But his gaze kept wandering over to the gorgeous TA.  Yuuri sighed.  This was going to be an interesting semester.

* * *

 

Pride fell on the next weekend.  It was done this way on purpose, to allow the university students to attend.  Even though it was in the evening, it was still hot, and Yuuri was glad when they reached the end of the parade route and were greeted by a six-and-a-half foot tall drag queen handing out cold bottles of water to everyone. 

Thankfully, the bar was only a few blocks away.  Yuuri and Phichit followed the crowd into the cool, dark haven and straight up to the crowded bar.  They ordered drinks and found an empty table over by the corner.  Yuuri eased into the high seat, grateful for a chance to cool off.

Phichit was saying something to him when Yuuri spotted a familiar face in the crowd.  There, leaning against the wall, drink in hand, was none other than the beautiful TA from his astronomy class, Viktor. 

Yuuri nearly choked on his beer when he saw Viktor.  There was no doubting it was him: he would know that gorgeous fall of silvery-blond hair anywhere.  He sucked in a breath and his heart began to race at the sight of him.  So, not only was he beautiful, but he was gay?  Yuuri bit his lip and thanked whatever deities were watching over him.  But just as he was giving silent thanks, Yuuri caught sight of a tall blond beside Viktor, leaning in close and whispering something in his ear.  Viktor turned to him and smiled.  Yuuri’s newborn elation turned to despair.  What was he thinking?  Of course someone as attractive and intelligent as Viktor would have a boyfriend. 

He looked away and down at the table, swallowing down his disappointment.

“What’s wrong?” Phichit asked, patting Yuuri on the shoulder.  “You look upset.”

“The TA from my Astronomy class is here,” Yuuri answered, trying his best to become invisible.  Why did he even come here?

“Where is he?” Phichit said, scanning the crowd.

“Look over my left shoulder,” Yuuri said.  “He’s the guy with the long platinum blond hair and the reddish colored shirt over there, leaning against the wall.” 

Phichit looked around for a moment and then his eyes widened and his mouth silently formed an ‘O’. 

“You mean that guy over there, the one who looks like one of Tolkien’s elves, is your TA?” Phichit gave a low, appreciative whistle.  “Oh, Yuuri, you need to go over there and say hello, buy him a drink, give him your number!”

“No!” Yuuri protested. “I don’t want to bother him.”  Yuuri cast a furtive glance over his shoulder at Viktor and quickly looked back at Phichit.  “He’s here with someone.  I don’t want to interrupt.  Besides, he already has a drink.”

“So?” Phichit said, undeterred.  “Buy him another!”

Yuuri shook his head and looked down at the wet ring his beer had left on the table. 

“Do you know what your problem is?” Phichit said, leaning in close.  Yuuri fixed him with a slight frown.  Phichit was undoubtedly going to tell him what his problem was, whether he wanted to hear it or not.

“You, my dear friend, have no idea how to flirt.  I’m going to teach you.”  Phichit got the attention of one of the waitstaff and called them over.

“I’ll have another Long Island Iced Tea and he’ll have another beer.  And he’s buying.”

Before Yuuri could protest, the waiter was gone, leaving him sputtering.

“I’m still working on this one!” Yuuri fussed, indicating his half-full bottle.

“And?  You know you’ll have another one before you leave.  Plus,” Phichit held up his glass and shook it. “I’m empty.  Consider it payment for the lesson, okay?”

Yuuri sighed.  When Phichit got an idea in his head, it was no use protesting. 

“Okay, when you’re flirting, lean in like whatever the guy is saying is the most interesting thing in the whole world, even if it’s boring as shit.”  Phichit leaned forward on his stool, his knee brushing Yuuri’s, until he was close enough for Yuuri to feel Phichit’s breath on his cheek.  He felt a little uncomfortable, having Phichit so close.  Phichit was his best friend and no matter how cute he was, Phichit wasn’t his type.  And it wasn’t as if he didn’t know how to talk to guys…

Phichit’s fingers cupped his jaw, gently pulling Yuuri back to look at him.

“Rule number one: maintain eye contact,” Phichit gently chided him.  “If you look around, he’ll think you don’t find him interesting or attractive or that you’re checking someone else out.  Neither of those is good, okay?”

Yuuri mutely nodded as the waiter arrived with their drinks.  Phichit smiled at the waiter as he took his empty glass and Yuuri’s money.  When he was gone, Phichit took a sip from his new glass and continued. 

“When he says something funny or that’s supposed to be funny, laugh.  When he talks, pay attention and smile.  And that’s pretty much it.  Follow those basics and you’re good.”  The music changed and a cheer went up around the bar.

“Oh, one more thing, when the DJ plays Depeche Mode and he says, ‘Do you wanna dance?’, get up off your ass and go dance,” Phichit said, grabbing Yuuri’s hand and pulling him off his bar stool.  Yuuri drained the last of his first beer and grabbed the second as Phichit hauled him off to the packed dance floor.

 

 

 

* * *

 

Viktor leaned against the wall, nursing his drink.  The march had been fun, even if it was too hot.  He would never get used to the heat here in Texas.  Pride in Colorado had been better: they held it in June and it was so much cooler there.  Texas was too damn hot.

Through the crowd, Viktor spotted someone familiar.  A cute Japanese boy with inky black hair, glasses, a little extra around the middle…  He narrowed his eyes, trying to remember where he’d seen him before.  And then he realized he’d seen the young man in class yesterday.  He was one of the students in his Astronomy class.

Viktor smiled to himself.  The boy was cute, really cute, and if he was here during Pride, it could only mean one thing.  Maybe, just maybe… But no sooner had a thought started to blossom in his head than it was crushed underfoot. 

The cute Japanese boy from his Astronomy class wasn’t here alone.  No, there was another young man with him and it was obvious that the other guy was really into him.  His fingers cradled the Japanese boy’s jaw in a very familiar manner and it was obvious that he was paying very close attention to everything the other said, laughing and smiling like whatever the Japanese boy was saying was the most interesting thing in the world. 

Viktor sighed and hid his frown behind his drink.  Of course the cute Japanese boy had an equally cute boyfriend.  They were adorable together. 

Would _Viktor_ ever find someone that would laugh and smile at him like that?

“You look very down all of the sudden,” Chris said, leaning in close.  There was so much noise in the bar that the only way to hear what anyone was saying was to get close.

Viktor shrugged, not sure if he should say anything.  But he knew Chris- he’d just pester him until he finally spit it out, so he might as well save himself the trouble.

“Do you see the table over there in the corner?  The one with the two young men talking to the waiter?  The one facing away from us is in my Astronomy class.”

“Really?” Chris said brightly.  “Why don’t you go over there and properly introduce yourself outside of an academic setting and get to know him better?”

Viktor shook his head.  “No, it’d be… awkward.  I’m his TA.  And he’s here with his boyfriend.  What am I supposed to say?  ‘Hi, sorry to interrupt your time with your boyfriend, but I’m the TA in your Astronomy class and I wanted to stop by and say hello?’  I don’t think so.”

“Why not?” Chris asked.  “I’m sure some of the people in my Greek History class are here, but there are five hundred students in that class and I’m one of ten TAs.  There’s no way I’d recognize any of them and I highly doubt any of them would recognize me.  However, if they did, I would love it if they came up to me and said hello.  And if I recognized any of them, I’d definitely say something.”

“No,” Viktor said.  He was about to say more but the song filling the bar faded into a classic by Depeche Mode and the cute boy from his class was dragged to the dance floor by his boyfriend.  Viktor leaned back against the wall and sighed. 

The boy was really cute.  Silently, he wished him and his boyfriend well as he made his way to the bar alone to order another drink.

 

 

* * *

 

Yuuri stood in the checkout line, waiting for the chance to load his groceries on the belt.  Idly, he looked over at the magazines, his gaze glancing over the tabloids and their lurid headlines and coming to settle on two different magazines with his sister on the cover.  The first was one of the weekly news magazines and Mari was smiling on the cover in her Dodgers uniform.  **_Mari Katsuki, History Maker_** , read the headline. 

The magazine next to it was a fitness magazine, proclaiming Mari “Japan’s Ace”.  Mari was clad in a tiny pair of workout shorts and a matching running bra, casting a smoldering gaze at the camera.  Yuuri couldn’t help but gawk.  He had underwear that covered more than her shorts!  He was pretty sure she did, too.  And how in the hell did she get that washboard stomach?  You could do laundry on that!  He poked his own flabby belly and frowned.  He could never be in that kind of shape.  But then again, he wasn’t a professional athlete who’d been in some kind of physical training for more than half his life like Mari.

Yuuri remembered Mari’s first game with the Dodgers two years ago.  She’d warmed the bench for three games and was midway through her fourth when she was called upon to be a relief pitcher.  But when she took the mound, the crowd roared.  Signs came out of nowhere, proclaiming her Japan’s Ace and a History Maker.  Yuuri had been so overcome that he’d cried, sitting at home alone watching the game on television.  Mari had remained cool and calm the entire time, smiling and waving a few times, gripping the ball in her left hand, eager to throw out her first pitch.

They had been waiting for her.  They had been waiting for the moment a woman would make history and throw a pitch in a major league baseball game.  It was almost ten minutes before the crowd at Dodgers Stadium finally quit roaring and let her do what she was hired to do.

They roared even more when she stuck the batter out.

Yuuri remembered her first professional game in Japan, playing for the Chinichi Dragons in Nagoya.  He’d still been in high school then.  There were many who were intimidated by her then as well as now, a woman who played in a man’s sport and was better at it than most of them.  She had her distractors, but she had even more fans.  And their numbers were growing up the day.

Quietly Yuuri put his groceries on the belt, pulled out his phone, and snapped a picture of the checkout stand to send to their parents.  At least they could be proud of one of their children.

* * *

 

A month later, Viktor was at the grocery store, picking up a few things for dinner on the way home.  They’d given the first test in the Astronomy class and he had his half of the tests in his car, waiting to be graded.  He knew he would be up most of the night working on them, but he wanted to grab something he could heat and eat while he worked.

At the checkout, he noticed there were four magazines with the same woman on them.  Apparently she was named Mari Katsuki.  He’s never heard of her before, but she reminded him of the cute Japanese boy in his class.  His last name was also Katsuki.  Yuuri Katsuki.  Mari Katsuki.  Maybe it was a common last name, like Smith or Ivanov or something.

Viktor looked at her again, wondering what she’d done to get on so many magazines.  Was she an actress?  A musician?  But then he saw that one of the magazines was a sports magazine and she was wearing a baseball uniform.  Viktor nodded in understanding.  She was an athlete. 

He paid for his groceries and didn’t give her another thought until he graded the test of the cute Japanese boy with the same last name.  He made a perfect score.  Viktor smiled.  Now _that_ was something he could respect.

* * *

 

Yuuri waited nervously in line to collect his test.  He was pretty sure he’d done alright on it, but it was always so hard to tell with these things.  One time he thought he’d aced a calculus test only to get it back and find out he’d only made an 89.  His mother had said it was still really good and he should be proud of it, but he’d felt like a failure. 

Viktor stood at the head of the line, handing out the graded tests.  Yuuri tried not to look at him, but it was hard not to.  At last, it was his turn to get his test and he barely looked up, afraid that somehow or another Viktor would figure out that Yuuri found him attractive.  Viktor had a boyfriend.  Even if he didn’t, it wasn’t like he stood a chance.

“Ah, Yuuri Katsuki,” Yuuri murmured, holding out his hands for the test.  Viktor smiled at him and handed it to him face down.  Quickly Yuuri moved off to the corner of the room and flipped the corner of the test up, peering at the grade.

  1. A perfect score. Yuuri bit his lip, tucked the test into his notebook, and hurried to his next class. 



Yuuri was glad that he’d done well on the test.  At least he could put off studying for this class for a couple of days.  The Dodgers were in the playoffs, and he actually wanted to watch the game live instead of record it and watch it later.  There was no way he could watch and study at the same time and he wanted to support his sister, even if it was only from afar.

When he stopped at the convenience store on the way to the bus stop, Yuuri counted the number of magazines with Mari on them.  There were seven this time.  Yuuri couldn’t go to the store anymore without seeing her plastered all over the checkout stand.  He snapped another picture for their parents.

That night, as Yuuri sat next to Phichit and watched his sister strike out most of the batters who came up against her, he kept thinking about Viktor and the way he’d smiled at him earlier in the day when he picked up his test.  He knew it was useless to think about Viktor because he had a boyfriend, but he couldn’t help himself.  Yuuri hugged one of the throw cushions as the Dodgers won the game and advanced to the World Series.  He was happy for Mari, but he wanted a little happiness for himself as well.  Was that too much to ask?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so very much for reading!


	2. Curveball

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yuuri and Viktor discover they've made some incorrect assumptions about the other and go out on a date, which is hard when the World Series is going on.

“Alright everyone, I have an announcement,” Celestino said to the half-full room.  “I managed to book us some time on one of the telescopes here on campus next week.  We’re going to have a star party, where we can all get together and do some stargazing.  What’s an astronomy class without looking at the things we love, yeah?  It’ll be next Friday night from 7 to 9pm over at Painter Hall.  There are more details on the class website.  Everybody hope for clear skies and don’t forget to turn in your homework on the way out.  Have a good day.”

Yuuri waited in line to give his homework to Viktor.  God, it was really unfair how pretty he was…

“Thank you,” Viktor said, smiling as he accepted Yuuri’s homework.

“Excuse me, but…” Yuuri murmured.  Viktor immediately perked up.  “I have a question.”

“Sure,” Viktor said, excited.  “Was it about the assignment?”

“Um, no,” Yuuri replied.  “Is it okay if I bring my roommate to the star party?”

Something subtle changed about Viktor’s smile and a shadow fell across his face.  But it was there and gone in an instant, leaving Yuuri to wonder if it was just his imagination.

“Certainly!” Viktor said, sounding a little forced.  “The more the merrier, isn’t that what they say?”

“Thank you,” Yuuri said, then shouldered his backpack and hurried off.  But he couldn’t shake the feeling that Viktor had been a little saddened.  Maybe he should have asked a question about the homework anyway and then asked if he could bring Phichit.  He knew that people who specialized in something loved to answer questions about it. Had he ruined it by not asking a pertinent question about the material?  He thought about going back and asking a question, but when he turned around, Viktor was gathering the papers in his arms, a lock of his hair falling over his eyes.   He was so beautiful…  Yuuri swallowed down his anxiety, turned and left.  He didn’t want to be a bother and he understood the material.  He shouldn’t waste Viktor’s time when someone else might actually need him.

 

* * *

 

At the star party, Viktor and Georgi worked the telescope, directing it towards various celestial objects in the evening sky.  Celestino talked about what they were looking at, giving a little history about each and every one of them. 

They looked at nebulas and a nearby galaxy, as well as closer objects.  Georgi pointed the telescope at the craters of the moon; Viktor pointed it towards the majestic jewels of the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn.

Everyone got a turn to look through the telescope at each of the objects if they wanted.  Yuuri used all of his turns, but Phichit was more interested in checking out other heavenly bodies at the star party. 

“Your elven TA is gorgeous,” Phichit said, casting a glance over his phone.  “He’s even better looking up close.  You should make a move, Yuuri.”

“You should mind your own business, Phichit.”

Of course, when Phichit finally did look through the telescope, he completely charmed Viktor.  Phichit charmed everyone.  Viktor laughed when Phichit looked at Jupiter and loudly proclaimed, “Oh my God!  It’s got _stripes_!” and then immediately put a hand to his mouth in embarrassment and laughed.

But he really couldn’t blame Phichit.  When it was his turn to look through the old telescope, Jupiter seemed so close and so sharply in focus that Yuuri felt like he should be able to reach out and touch it.  And the colors were so vivid…  Yuuri could see why astronomers would be okay with sleeping days and working nights.  If this was what they got to see all the time, it was hardly a chore. 

The fact that Phichit managed to get a phone number from one of his classmates wasn’t lost on Yuuri.  He’d been here less than an hour, but Phichit was outgoing and vibrant.  Yuuri, on the other hand…  No one noticed him.  He was so used to being in the shadows that he was practically invisible to his classmates.  But he couldn’t help but spare a glance at Viktor, stunning and gorgeous, operating the old hand crank telescope that looked like something straight out a steampunk cosplayer’s wet dream. 

Yuuri sighed, trying to burn the image of Viktor and the telescope into his mind as they made their way back down the ancient staircase.

 

* * *

 

After class on Friday, Viktor noticed that Yuuri was in line to pick up his homework.  He put on his best happy face and handed out the assignments, waiting for Yuuri. 

Viktor had hoped when Yuuri asked to bring his roommate to the star party than it wouldn’t be his boyfriend.  But of course it was.  He shouldn’t have been resentful or bitter or jealous.  Yuuri was intelligent and cute, but he was also very shy.  He wondered how his boyfriend had managed to break his shell and get inside. 

At last, Yuuri was standing in front of him, looking nervous.  He always seemed so unsure of himself, but he’d aced all of the assignments so far.  He had one of the highest grades in the class and there was absolutely no reason for him to look so down. 

“Uh, Yuuri Katsuki,” Yuuri said as he stepped forward, waiting for his homework to be handed back.  Yuuri always got the cutest blush whenever they talked.

Viktor thumbed through the stapled packets and found Yuuri’s.  Another perfect score.

“I know who you are, Yuuri,” Viktor said, trying to put him at ease.  But Yuuri’s eyes grew wide behind his glasses and he swallowed hard. 

“You don’t have to call him your roommate, you know,” Viktor said, his voice pitched low so no one else could hear him.  “You two make a cute couple.”

Yuuri’s eyes flew even wider.  “I’m… I’m sorry?” he stammered.

“I saw you two at Pride,” Viktor admitted.  “It’s okay to call him your boyfriend.”

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Yuuri sputtered, blinking owlishly.  “Phichit’s my best friend and my roommate, nothing more.”

“Oh,” Viktor replied, suddenly feeling lighter. “So you’re not-”

Yuuri shook his head.  “No, we’re not.”

Now it was Viktor’s turn to stare at Yuuri and blush.  All this time he’d just assumed that Yuuri and Phichit were a couple, and in reality they were just roommates?  He’d been a fool and he’d wasted so much time already…

Without thinking, he reached out and comfortingly patted the back of Yuuri’s hand.

“I apologize, I just assumed,” Viktor trailed off, feeling the heat of embarrassment rising in his cheeks

Yuuri looked down and Viktor realized he was staring at Viktor’s hand on his.  Viktor pulled his hand away with a small gasp.

“Sorry,” Viktor apologized.

“For what?” Yuuri asked.

Viktor smiled at Yuuri.  An idea occurred to him and he blurted it out before he could think better of it.

“Would you like to go to dinner?”  Viktor said, and then quickly added, “to, ah, discuss things?”

Before Yuuri could answer, the young woman behind him noisily cleared her throat.  “Sorry,” Yuuri murmured and moved off to the side to let her get her homework.  But he didn’t leave.  Viktor saw him hovering out of the corner of his eye as he passed out the rest of the assignments. 

When he was done, Yuuri was still standing there, as though uncertain how to proceed.

Viktor headed over to Yuuri as the last of the students in their class left and the students for the next class began to pour in.

“You never answered my question,” Viktor said as he came to stand next to Yuuri.  “Would you like to go out to dinner sometime?”

What in the hell was he doing?  He knew good and damn well that grad students weren’t supposed to go out with the undergrads in the classes they taught.  There were all sorts of issues and concerns with favoritism.  He should wait until the semester was over, then they would be free and clear to go out for dinner-

“Y-yes,” Yuuri replied, “but don’t you have a boyfriend?  I thought I saw you with someone at Pride.”

Viktor pursed his lips in thought.  He’d gone to Pride with Chris.  Was it possible they’d both made the same mistake?

“I don’t have a boyfriend,” Viktor said.  “I went to Pride with my roommate.”

“Oh,” Yuuri said.  And then: “Oh.  _OH_.”  He let out a nervous little laugh and Viktor thought it was the cutest thing he’d ever heard.

“I think we both came to the wrong conclusion,” Viktor said as a young man squeezed past him to get to his seat.

Yuuri only nodded, blushing even more furiously than before.

“The next class is about to start,” Viktor said.  “Why don’t we go out into the hall and I can give you my number and we can set things up.”

Yuuri nodded and followed him out.  They sat down and quickly exchanged numbers, but Yuuri said he couldn’t stay as he had another class to get to halfway across campus.  Viktor felt bad: the only way Yuuri would make it on time was if he ran.  And he did, taking the steps two at a time and racing out the lobby doors.

Viktor watched him go, smiling to himself.  After a few moments, he hoisted his backpack up on his shoulder and headed to the elevators.  He had his own work to do and right now none of the other three grad students he shared an office with would be there.  But he felt like he could have floated up to the eleventh floor.

Yuuri didn’t have a boyfriend.  Yuuri was _single_.  Yuuri had agreed to go out with him on a date.

For the first time in a while, the smile on Viktor's face was genuine.

 

* * *

 

“Oh my God, you have a date with your elven TA?” Phichit squealed when Yuuri told him.  Yuuri winced.  He was sure that now even their neighbors knew this new detail of his social life.

“When are you going out?” Phichit said.  Phichit seemed more excited than he was, if that was possible.

“Monday night,” Yuuri sighed.  But Monday was-

“Are you kidding?!” Phichit said, his face falling.  “Katsuki Yuuri, you made a date on the night of the first game of the World Series?!”

Yuuri could only nod.  There was no other night that worked.  And there was no way he could say to Viktor, “I’m sorry, but the World Series is going to be on that night and I can’t miss it.”  Not if he wanted a chance at a second date.  Saying that would probably kill his chance at the first one.

“Oh, Yuuri, this is horrible,” Phichit moaned, coming over to rub his shoulder.  “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go,” Yuuri said quietly. “I was going to record the game anyway.  I have a test coming up on Friday in Linear Algebra and I need to study, so-”

“So you’re ditching studying _and_ Mari to go out on a _date_?” Phichit asked.  He shot Yuuri a stern look, then smiled.

“Oh, Yuuri,” Phichit said as he wrapped Yuuri in a hug, “good for you!  I’m so proud of you!”

Yeah, sure, good for him.  But if this was so good, then why did he feel so bad?

 

* * *

 

Yuuri stopped to get gas on the way to the pizzeria Viktor had suggested for their date.  He was nervous as hell.  Inside, the attendant barely paid any attention to him at all: his eyes were glued to the television behind the counter, talking about the upcoming first game of the World Series and Japan’s Ace Mari Katsuki.  Her Halloween costume had sold out and there were pictures of women and little girls attired in a replica of her uniform, all of them smiling.  Fans in Dodger Stadium held up homemade signs and all of the tickets for the first four games were already sold out.

All of the magazines at the counter had Mari on them.  Hell, even the tabloids had her picture on them now, making ridiculous claims like she was really an alien from outer space.  Yuuri snapped another picture and sent it to his parents.  He was sure they were up despite the hour, streaming the game.  They sent him a photo of the checkout stand at the combini on the corner.  All of their magazines had Mari on them, too.

Yuuri arrived at the pizzeria ten minutes early, just to be sure he’d be on time.  The last thing he wanted to do was be late.  Viktor pulled in beside him a few minutes later, driving an old silver Volvo station wagon.  When he got out, his gaze roamed over Yuuri’s brand new car and straight up to Yuuri.  When he saw Yuuri’s shirt- a replica of Mari’s Dodgers jersey- a shadow briefly crossed over his face, only to be swept away by a warm smile.

“You’re early,” Viktor said, locking his car.

“So are you,” Yuuri replied, returning Viktor’s smile with one of his own.

“I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.  Let’s go inside.  I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry.”

Yuuri followed Viktor inside the pizzeria and immediately realized his mistake: every wall had a television on it and every television was tuned to the game.

Oh, he should have known this was going to happen.  Everyone wanted to see what Mari would do, everyone wanted to see her make history.

A waitress showed them to a booth in the corner and brought them menus.  She pointed at Yuuri’s jersey and grinned.

“Oh my God, she’s incredible, isn’t she?” the woman gushed.  Yuuri only nodded, wishing he’d worn something else. 

Yuuri tried his best not to pay attention to what was on the television screen right behind Viktor.  He was here on a date- a first date at that!- with a simply stunning man.  Viktor was intelligent and beautiful, the best of both worlds rolled up into one amazing package.  He should be paying attention to Viktor, not the game he was recording to watch later.

They decided to share a pizza, and Yuuri was happy that they agreed on which toppings to get.  Phichit would say it was a good sign.  Hell, if Phichit had been there, he would have been picking out the wedding invitations.

Drinks arrived as the teams took the field and Yuuri was glad that the Dodgers were up at bat first.  He had some time before Mari would be on the screen.  Maybe he would get lucky and they would score a lot of runs and Mari wouldn’t be up for a long time.

Yuuri tried to keep his eyes off the screen and focus his attention on Viktor, but it was hard.  He just needed to focus more.  Yuuri took note of the way a stray lock of hair had fallen out of Viktor’s ponytail and hung in a soft, loose curl by his cheek.  Or the way the evening light caught his eyes and turned them into the most incredible shade of aquamarine...  He listened to what Viktor said, talking about growing up in Russia and moving to America to go to university. 

“I got my BS in Physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder,” Viktor said as the pizza arrived.  “I liked Colorado a lot.  They have actual seasons there, not just ‘hot as hell’ and ‘not quite as hot as hell’ like here.” 

Yuuri laughed.  He understood.  Not having a real winter was one of the things he disliked about Austin. 

They talked about missing snow and the beauty of watching the trees turn in autumn.  Yuuri was beginning to think this was actually going to work when the Yankees pitcher struck out his third batter, leaving two to die on base and only one run scored.  The teams headed off the field and Mari and the other field players headed out.  Their waitress let out a little cry and threw her fist in the air.

“It’s _showtime_!” she yelled.  Yuuri took a bite of his pizza.  He would have to ignore the game.  He would have to ignore Mari. 

“Tell me more about yourself,” Viktor said, reaching for his beer.  “You’re in a class for math and science majors, so what’s your major?  Why did you decide to go to school in America?”

Oh, there were so many ways to answer that question.  He could choose the safe route and say he moved here to go to college, which was true, but he could have gone to college in Japan as well. 

Why was he here?  Because here no one knew who his sister was, at least not when he arrived.  Back home, everyone knew that he was Mari Katsuki’s little brother.  She’d played professionally in Japan before she signed a three-year contract with the Dodgers.  He came here to escape her shadow, to find out who he was for himself.  But her shadow was so much longer than he thought.  Her image was everywhere: it was all over their family’s inn, along with all her trophies and even some of her old uniforms.  Even the train station had a dozen posters of her, poised and ready to pitch one of her famous curveballs, a slender figure in black in front of sakuras in full bloom. 

On the screen, Mari took her spot on the mound and the cameras switched to a shot of the crowd, screaming and yelling and holding up signs.  Clearly, this was one of those games where she would have to wait for the cheering to die down before she could actually pitch. 

“I moved here when I was eighteen to go to school,” Yuuri said, pointedly looking at Viktor.  He needed to remember Phichit’s flirting lesson.  _Pay attention to the guy in front of you, don’t look away or he’ll think you’re not interested._

“I could have gone to school in Japan,” Yuuri continued, “but I got a scholarship to go to school here.  I thought it might be nice to live somewhere else for a while.”

“Do you think you’ll go back home when you finish your degree?” Viktor asked. 

On the screen, Mari threw out her first pitch. 

Strike one.

“Um, I haven’t decided yet,” Yuuri said, trying to stay focused on what he was saying.  But he couldn’t look at Viktor with Mari behind him getting ready to pitch again.  He looked down at his plate and stared at his half-eaten slice of pizza.

What was he doing?  This was a mistake…

“I thought about going home, but I might also apply for graduate school.  Or maybe I’ll find a job and stay here.”

“It’s a hard choice,” Viktor began.  Yuuri looked up to pay attention to Viktor, but he caught Mari pitching again, one of the curveballs she was famous for.  The batter swung and missed.

Strike two.

What did Viktor say?  Shit, he’d missed it!

Under the table, Yuuri’s leg began to bounce.  He took a gulp from his glass, hoping it would calm him.  It would be better if it was water and not beer.  Could he call the waitress over and get some water? 

He looked for her, but she was staring at the screen.  He could have been on fire and she wouldn’t have noticed.

Viktor had asked him a question.  Yuuri had to think- what had they been talking about?  What had Viktor said?  Yuuri glanced back down at his plate, trying to think.  And then-

“No, I haven’t taken the GRE yet, but I’m planning on it,” Yuuri said softly. 

Mari threw a fastball this time and the bat connected.  Quickly the batter flung the bat aside, sprinted for first, and barely beat the ball to the base.

Safe.

For now.

Could he go through the entire date like this?  Only looking at Viktor when Mari wasn’t pitching?  How the hell was that going to work?

Oh, he’d been a _fool_ not to tell Viktor that tonight wasn’t a good night.

On the other side of the table, Viktor laughed. 

“I was a nervous wreck when I took the GRE,” Viktor said, “but if your homework scores are any indication of how you handle your other classes, it will be easy for you.  So long as you study, you’ll be fine.”

Yuuri looked up and smiled at Viktor.  He was beautiful, so beautiful-

The runner on first was taunting Mari.  Every time she turned her back to him and faced down the batter, he left the base and went halfway to second in a blatant attempt to steal.  Twice she ignored him, staying focused on the batter in front of her.  But the third time, she spun on her heel and threw the ball to the second baseman, who promptly tagged the runner out. 

The runner threw off his hat and charged the mound, headed straight for Mari.  She ran from him as the infielders came to her defense.  Their waitress gasped as both teams came boiling out of their respective dugouts and a brawl broke out on the field. 

Yuuri gasped and his hand flew to his mouth.  This was horrible, absolutely the worst!  How dare someone go after his sister-!

“I’m sorry,” Viktor said, incredulous and upset, “but are you… watching the game?”

On the screen behind him, officials and team managers ran out on the field, trying to break up the fight. 

Yuuri was certain he was out. 

Viktor looked down at his plate, blinking, his mouth open and working, but nothing coming out.

Finally, he looked up at Yuuri, his blue eyes flashing angrily.

“If you wanted to watch a stupid baseball game, you should have said so,” Viktor said quietly.  “As a matter of fact,” Viktor pulled his napkin out of his lap and put it on the table, “why don’t you do that?”

Viktor began to slide out of the booth.  Without thinking, Yuuri reached out and slapped his hand on the table by Viktor.

“She’s my sister!” Yuuri blurted out.

“Excuse me?” Viktor said, shooting him a frosty look.  “What does _your sister_ have to do-”

“The pitcher for the Dodgers, Mari Katsuki, she’s…” Yuuri looked down, his shoulders sagging. 

“She’s my sister,” he whispered, defeated.

He could feel Viktor’s eyes boring holes in him from across the table.  He’d paid more attention to the game than to Viktor.  He deserved this.  He _deserved_ to have Viktor walk out on him.

“Is that true?” Viktor asked.  All Yuuri could do was nod.  Viktor was going to get up and leave and he was going to be alone again-

Viktor was right.  He should have just stayed at home.

“I don’t like to talk about it because when people find out, they lose interest in me and it’s all about her.”

“You should have said something,” Viktor said quietly.  Yuuri briefly glanced up and while it was clear that Viktor was still upset, he didn’t look like he was going to leave anymore.  If anything, he had a more thoughtful expression on his face, as though he was considering something.  Viktor probably just thought that he was a liar.

“You can check her Instagram posts if you don’t believe me,” Yuuri said softly.  “I visited her in Los Angeles this summer.  I- I’m in a few of them.”

Viktor hummed in response.  Yuuri was sure that everything was ruined now.  Or could he save it?

“I know this has been a shitty date and I’m sorry,” Yuuri said.  “But I like you.  I like you a lot.  A whole lot. I would like to see you again, but I understand that you probably don’t want to see me…” Yuuri trailed off, the familiar vise of disappointment squeezing his chest.

“I… might be willing to try again,” Viktor said. 

“Really?” Yuuri blurted, looking up in shock and surprise.  Was Viktor really willing to go out on a date with him again, after this disaster?  Viktor’s chin rested on his fist and his bangs had fallen into his eyes, obscuring them from view. 

Behind him, Mari was holding a cold pack to her lower lip.  She winced in pain, but seemed to be okay. 

“Yes,” Viktor said.  “How long does the World Series last?”

“Ah, anywhere between four and seven games,” Yuuri replied.  “A week.  Maybe two.”

Viktor frowned and tucked his hair behind an ear.  Was it as soft as it looked?

“That’s a long time to wait,” he said. 

“I know,” Yuuri replied.  “But while the World Series is on, anywhere we go is going to be playing the games.  I’m going to be distracted, because that’s my sister out there, you know?  Anyway, it’s not fair to you.  But we’re having a gathering at my apartment for the game on Sunday.  You could come, if you want.  I understand if you don’t-” Yuuri looked down at the table, unable to look at Viktor and read the disappointment and rejection he was sure must be there…

“I would love to come to your party,” Viktor said quietly.  “What time to I need to be there?”

“The game starts at seven, so…?  Six-thirty?  Is that good for you?”

Viktor smiled.  “Six-thirty would be fine.”

On the screen, Mari put down the bag of ice and walked back out onto the field, flashing the peace sign to the fans.

Mari wasn’t out of the game and, remarkably, neither was Yuuri.

 

* * *

 

Later that night, Viktor sat on the couch and scrolled through Mari Katsuki’s Instagram posts.  She posted a lot of pictures, including a new selfie of the cut on her lip.  With her was a young man with long blond hair and intense green eyes, one of which had been blackened by a punch.  The photo was tagged “battle scars”.  Despite her injury, she was smiling and giving the peace sign.

Viktor pursed his lips thoughtfully.  Since she posted so many pictures, it was hard to see if Yuuri was telling the truth.  It wouldn’t be the first time someone he was interested in had lied to him or blown him off.  A lot of guys seemed to think that he was only a pretty face. 

A few minutes later, Viktor found what he was looking for.  There was Yuuri with his adorable shy smile, right there on her feed.  She’d even tagged the photo “little brother”.  There was even a selfie he’d taken with the new car he'd seen him driving tonight, in which he thanked her for her generosity.  He wasn’t in many of them- it turned out he was camera shy, which really wasn’t that big of a surprise.

Viktor’s favorite was of Yuuri and Mari standing back to back, arms crossed over their chests, captioned “The Athlete and the Mathlete”.  Smiling, he liked and saved the photo and put his phone down.

Viktor understood why Yuuri had been hesitant to tell him about his famous relative.  He didn't like to talk about his, either.  Once their name came up in conversation, it was all over.

He was glad he’d given Yuuri a second chance.

 

* * *

 

“What am I supposed to take to Yuuri’s party?” Viktor asked a couple of days later.

“Did he ask you to bring something?” Chris replied, looking up from his magazine.

“Well, no-”     

“Then just take your gorgeous self, honey,” Chris replied, going back to the glossy pages of his fashion magazine.  Viktor squinted at the cover- was that Mari Katsuki on the cover?  Oh my God, she was _everywhere_ \- “That’s more than enough.”

Viktor frowned.  While it was true that Yuuri hadn’t asked him to bring anything, he felt like he should arrive with something.  What if he showed up empty-handed and everyone else brought something?  Then he’d look like a jerk.  What if he was supposed to bring something and Yuuri forgot to ask him, or was too shy to ask?  Or felt like he couldn’t, considering how the first date had gone?

He could stop by the store on the way.  Chips and dip.  That always went over well.  It was easy and inexpensive, and everyone always ate it. 

Viktor smiled.  Problem solved.  Now what should he wear?

He pulled his favorite t-shirt out of the closet.  It was a black t-shirt with a spiral galaxy across the front.  An arrow pointed to the outskirts of one of the spiral arms and above the arrow it said, “You Are Here”.  Smiling, Viktor began to slip it on, when Chris’ voice drifted in from the living room, sounding bored.

“Whatever you do, don’t wear your ‘You Are Here’ t-shirt.  You’ll look like a nerd.” 

“I am a nerd!” he shot back.

“Put it back, Viktor,” Chris repeated.

“Fuck,” Viktor muttered, pulled the t-shirt off, and tossed it on the bed.  Now what was he going to wear?  In the back of the closet, he spotted a splash of color and moved his other shirts aside.  A raspberry colored v-neck hung in the back of the closet.  Quickly, he pulled it on, grabbed an elastic for his hair, and headed out.  He didn’t want to be late.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri was pulling the chicken wings out of the oven when the doorbell rang.  He set the tray on the oven and was trying to take off his mitts when Phichit disentangled himself from the guy he’d invited over and called out, “I’ve got it!”

Viktor walked inside and Yuuri smiled.  His hair was back in a loose ponytail and he was carrying a bag from the grocery store.  He looked around and when his gaze fell on Yuuri, he smiled.  Yuuri smiled back, sighing.  Oh, he looked good today, dressed in a dark pink t-shirt with a v-neck that exposed his throat oh so nicely.  How he’d _love_ to bite and lick Viktor’s neck-

“Where should I put this?” Viktor said, holding up the bag.  Minami shot out from the living room and took the bag out of Viktor’s hands.

“I’ll take care of that!” he said, putting the bag on the counter and diving down to fish a platter out of the bottom cupboards.

“Hi,” Yuuri said, smiling up at Viktor.  Some part of his brain was telling him he should say something else, something more intelligent, but he was basking in Viktor’s glow.  Viktor was smiling back, walking forward.

“Hello,” Viktor said.  “I see you have on the same shirt.”

“Uh,” Yuuri muttered.  “I always wear her shirt on game day.  It’s a tradition.”

Viktor nodded and leaned on the counter, making his shirt gap just a little.  Yuuri could see a tantalizing view down his shirt of a firm chest.  _Oh_ , but what he’d give to run his hands over that shirt, take it off, see what else Viktor had-

“Here you go!” Minami said, holding up a tray of artfully arranged chips and salsa.  “He got the good stuff.”  Minami took the tray and placed it in on the edge of the dining room table in between the sliders Leo and Guang-Hong had brought, Minami’s veggie platter, and Seung-Gil’s sliced watermelon. 

“The game’s about to start!” Guang-Hong said, clutching his lucky baseball in his hand. 

“Okay, everyone get a plate and let’s head to the living room,” Phichit ordered.  Viktor smiled and turned towards the table and Yuuri bit his lip, watching Viktor as he bent over in his tight jeans.  Phichit came up beside Yuuri and whispered in his ear, “He brought food without being asked.  This one’s a keeper.” 

Yuuri smiled.  Viktor had agreed to another date after the disastrous first one.  Yeah, he was _definitely_ a keeper.

Once their plates were full and everyone had something to drink, they headed towards the living room.  Phichit’s date- Yuuri couldn't remember his name- was in the chair and Phichit was curled up in his lap, balancing their plates.  Guang-Hong stood in the corner, holding his ball and a plate in one hand until Leo put his plate on an end table and held Guang-Hong.

Yuuri sat down on the couch and motioned to Viktor to come sit beside him.  Viktor settled in and Yuuri suppressed a sigh when he felt Viktor’s thigh slide next to his.  He was tempted to reach out and rest a hand on that thigh, but it was too soon.  And he wasn’t about to do a damn thing with everyone here.

Yuuri settled back into the couch, waiting for the game to start. 

 

* * *

 

Viktor eased back next to Yuuri and looked around at the other people in the room.  The bleached blond with the red streak kneeling on the floor was like a coiled up spring, ready to bounce up at the slightest provocation.  He had on a backwards Dodgers baseball cap. 

Yuuri’s roommate Phichit was wearing a different Dodgers jersey- his said PLISETSKY 15 on the back.  Viktor thought that was the man with the black eye in the selfie with Mari, but he wasn’t sure.  The boy Phichit was sitting on had on a grey t-shirt with the team name on it in blue.  The two young men in the corner were wearing blue Dodgers jerseys.  Yuuri had on his sister’s jersey again and the young man who came out of the bathroom was also wearing a Dodgers cap.  He glowered down at Viktor from under thick, bushy eyebrows.

“Why does he get the couch?” the young man complained, staring at him.  “This is his first time here!”

“Viktor gets the couch because he’s Yuuri’s date, Seung-Gil,” Phichit hissed.  “Now quit being a whiny little bitch, take a seat on the floor, and shut the hell up.”  Frowning, Seung-Gil did as he was told.

The teams took the field and Viktor recognized Mari as she trotted out to the pitcher’s mound.  The crowd shrieked as soon as she appeared.  So did the blond on the floor.  He bounced up and shouted “GANBATTE!” much to everyone’s annoyance.

“Minami,” Phichit said, “save it.  She’s just getting into position.”

“I know,” Minami said, turning around to look at Phichit, “but she’s _so good_!  I used to watch her back home in Japan and she was better than any of the other pitchers the Dragons ever had, or any other team for that matter!  Oh, I wish I could pitch like her…”  He trailed off, collapsing back down in a sighing heap on the floor.

“Fanboy,” Seung-Gil grumbled under his breath, pulling out a pad of paper and a pencil.

Next to him, Yuuri was also a nervous ball of energy, but he seemed more anxious than anything.  Who could blame him, after the fight that happened in the last game?  Viktor thought about putting a hand on Yuuri’s thigh to calm him, but he didn’t want to be perceived as trying to make a move.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to- Yuuri was really cute and the Dodgers shirt fit him well as did his jeans- but there was no way he was going to do anything in front of his friends.  He’d save that for when they were alone.

When Mari finally pitched, everyone watched with bated breath.  The energy in the room was infectious and even Viktor found himself on the edge of his seat.  But very quickly it was over.  She threw nine pitches, all strikes, and they switched sides. 

At one point, the announcers were analyzing her pitches and the yshowed a shot from behind Mari.  Viktor could see the pitch curve ever so slightly.  It looked like it would go behind the batter, but then it curved back and flew directly over the plate.  The batter swung a fraction of a second too late and missed the ball.

“THE CURVEBALL QUEEN IS TOO GOOD FOR ALL OF YOU!” Minami howled, jumping up.  Almost everyone in unison told him to sit down and he did, although he was back up again a couple of seconds later when she struck out the third batter.

The Dodgers came up to bat next and everyone cheered when the second batter came up, his long blond ponytail sticking out from behind his cap.  In the stands behind him, rainbow banners came out and were waved around.

“Go Plisetsky!” Phichit yelped excitedly, then laughed. 

“He’s a good friend of Mari’s,” Yuuri said, leaning in.  “Mari calls him ‘Yurio’ because we have the same name.”

“He’s also the first professional baseball player to come out while he’s still playing,” Phichit said, waving a rainbow bandana around.  “Plus he’s cute.  And his DJ boyfriend is cute, too.  PLISETSKY PRIDE!”

The young man with Phichit pulled him down and snuggled closer to him.  Viktor sighed.  He wished he felt that comfortable with Yuuri.

Plisetsky managed to get on base.  The next batter managed to hit a home run and he and Plisetsky came in, scoring two runs.  No one else managed to get on base and the teams flipped again.

Halfway through the game, Viktor realized that no one had managed to hit a single one of Mari’s pitches.  Every single ball she’d thrown had been a strike.

“Oh God,” Yuuri breathed next to him.  As the teams switched, Yuuri’s phone buzzed with an incoming text.  Everyone else in the room spun and looked at him.

“OH MY GOD, IS IT HER?” “Is that Mari?” “Yuuri, who is it?” "Damn everybody, shut the hell up and let Yuuri look at his goddamn _phone_!  Geez.  It's her, isn't it?"

Yuuri held up a hand for everyone to be quiet.  On the floor, Minami squirmed and bit his knuckles.  Viktor saw a shot of the Dodgers dugout- Mari sat by herself on the end of a bench, phone in hand.  Her back was to the rest of the team and they all had their backs to her and looked like they were trying to put distance between themselves and Yuuri’s sister.  What was going on?

“It’s her,” Yuuri breathed.  The noise in the room was almost deafening.  “Umm, she wants a picture of all of us for luck?” 

The words were barely out of his mouth before everyone was rushing forward, crowding in.  Yuuri smiled, pulled Viktor next to him, and snapped the picture.  A few minutes later, Yuuri’s phone beeped again and Yuuri blushed as he read it.  Viktor thought he looked adorable with his pink cheeks.  Everyone was looking at him, anxious to know what she said this time.

“Umm, she said ‘thank you for your support’,” Yuuri said to the others, then looked at Viktor.  “She wants to know who you are.”

“Tell her I’m your date,” Viktor said, making Yuuri blush even more.  He sent a text back, but didn’t get a reply. 

“She’s going to do it again, isn’t she?” Minami said, his eyes shining.  “Oh my God-”

“Shut up!” Leo barked.  “You can’t say it or you’ll jinx it!”

Immediately, Minami’s hands flew to his mouth as though that was the only way he could silence himself.  Viktor suspected it was probably true.

Viktor wanted to ask what was going on, but whatever was happening was apparently taboo to speak of.  He settled back next to Yuuri, content to wait.  He was even happier that Yuuri was pressed closer to him, thigh against thigh. 

Yuuri reached out and rested his hand on Viktor’s thigh.  Viktor looked over at Yuuri, but he wasn’t even sure that Yuuri was aware that he’d done it.  Viktor put his hand on top of Yuuri’s and watched the dusting of pink creep over his cheeks.  Yuuri looked over at him and bit his lip, then looked away.  But he didn’t move his hand.

In the final inning, the announcers were very excited.  The crowd roared again as Mari took the field.  She looked very intense and serious, utterly focused on her pitches.

She easily struck out the first two batters.  A shot of the dugout showed all of the players on the edge of the bench.  Plisetsky was leaning against the wall, biting his lower lip.  Everyone in Yuuri’s apartment was tense and anxious.  Minami was up and pacing around the room like a caged tiger.  Yuuri was gripping Viktor’s hand, their fingers laced together.

“Come on,” Yuuri whispered as Mari went up to pitch.  “Come on come on _come on_..”

Mari struck out the third and final batter.  Suddenly, everyone was up and cheering.  The players shot out of the dugout onto the field.  Mari’s hands flew to her mouth and Plisetsky ran up to her and tackled her on the mound, obviously very excited.

Viktor wasn’t sure what was happening.  Was the World Series already over?  But this was only the third game-

“SHE PITCHED A PERFECT GAME!” Yuuri cried out.  Minami was in hysterics, screaming something in Japanese.  Phichit and his date were yelling, Leo and Guang-Hong were yelling, even Seung-Gil looked excited as he scribbled more notes on his pad.

The crowds in the stands were waving their Mari banners and the announcers were yelling about it too.

“This is good, right?” Viktor asked.  Yuuri turned to him and nodded.

“Yeah,” he said, “oh yeah.  A perfect game, one where no one gets on base, is almost impossible.” Yuuri’s eyes were shining and it was clear he was excited, very excited. 

“This is her second perfect game.  The first was in Japan.”  Yuuri looked at him and smiled, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

“No one has ever pitched two before.  _Ever_.  She made history.”

Quickly, plans were made for them to gather here every night there was a game on.  And even though at first Viktor thought he would hate baseball, he found the game interesting.  Maybe it was just the fans he found interesting. 

Well, at least _one_ of them.

Viktor knew he couldn’t make all of the games, as he had commitments of his own to keep and research to work on.  But he would find a way to make another gathering.

 

 

 

* * *

 

In class on Monday, Viktor watched Yuuri walk in.  When their eyes met across the room, Yuuri smiled and blushed and quickly looked away.  Viktor wondered what it would be like to run his hands through that soft, thick hair, and hoped he’d get to find out soon.

The Dodgers and the Yankees battled it out and the Series ended up going to a full seven games.  Viktor wasn’t able to make it back to Yuuri’s apartment until the last of them. 

The last game was intense, with each team scoring runs.  Mari had been kept on the bench for the previous two games and was now back for the last one.  The crowds in the stands were insane.

In the bottom of the 9th, the Dodgers were ahead by one point.  There were two outs, one on base, when one of the best hitters for the Yankees came up to bat.  Yuuri explained that he has a history of hitting home runs.  Viktor understood that if he hit one, the Dodgers would lose not only the game but the World Series itself.  But if Mari struck him out, the Dodgers would win everything.  The entire series was riding on these pitches. 

Instead of the raucous noise that Viktor had come to associate with the game, everyone in Yuuri’s apartment was deathly quiet and tense.  Even Viktor was tense, sitting on the edge of the couch beside Yuuri, holding Yuuri’s hand in his.

On the television, Mari looked intensely focused.  She pitched two strikes and two balls.  When she pitched again, the batter swung and the bat connected with the ball, sending it straight towards Mari.  Instinctively, she held out her gloved right hand and the ball went right in.

The batter was out.  The game was over.  The World Series was over.  The Dodgers had won.

The crowd in the stadium went mad.  Everyone in the apartment screamed.  Mari looked at the ball in her glove, dropped to her knees, and sobbed as her teammates rushed out onto the field, picked her up on their shoulders, and carried her around.

Yuuri grabbed Viktor by the front of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss.

It was a sloppy, rough kiss, with no art or grace to it whatsoever, but it was a kiss.  Yuuri’s arms were around him, his soft lips were pressed to his.  Viktor returned the embrace and smiled against Yuuri’s lips.

Everyone who was cheering for Mari and the Dodgers in the apartment ended up cheering for Yuuri and Viktor instead.  Viktor heard them gasping and whooping and catcalling, but he didn’t care.  When they parted, Viktor rested his forehead against Yuuri’s and smiled.  Yuuri looked up at him and smiled so sweetly that he thought he would melt.  Oh, but he was beautiful, so beautiful-

Viktor leaned in for another kiss, this one not so rushed.  He was vaguely aware that Phichit snapped a picture with his phone, but he didn’t care. 

Later that evening, once he’d helped clean up and put things away and was comfortably curled on the couch with Yuuri, Phichit came charging out of his room, squealing and waving his phone.

“Yuuri!” he shouted, heedless of the fact that he was interrupting their makeout session on the couch, “Mari shared my picture!”  Phichit shoved his phone under their noses.

On the screen, there was a picture of them kissing right after the game was over.  Yuuri was in Viktor’s arms and Yuuri’s hand was fisted in Viktor’s shirt.  The caption read “Celebratory Kiss”.  Yuuri looked down at it and squeaked.  Not only had Mari liked it and shared it, so had Yuuri’s mother. 

Yuuri turned an even deeper shade of red and buried his face in his hands.  Viktor gently pulled them away, fearing that Yuuri was upset.  But Yuuri was laughing.

“Oh my God, my mom liked the picture of us kissing!” Yuuri giggled.  He pointed to a line of text in kanji.  “This says, ‘No wonder you’re not answering your phone!  Your father says that’s a good-looking foreigner!’”  He looked back up at Viktor and smiled.

“Looks like we’re busted,” Yuuri laughed.  Viktor nodded and pulled him back in for another kiss.  He could get used to this...

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A [star party](http://outreach.as.utexas.edu/public/viewing.html) is when a university allows members of the public to come and observe the sky through their telescopes. There are also star parties held by amateur astronomers that are open to the public. I have linked to the ones held by UT Austin, which is where this story is set, but these are by no means the only ones out there. And, yes, there really is an [ancient telescope](http://www.flickriver.com/photos/rau1988/5894610901/) in Painter Hall, but it's totally worth it.
> 
> In Major League Baseball, a [perfect game](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_game) is one in which a pitcher wins a game that lasts at least nine innings where no member of the opposing team reaches base. There are no hits, no walks, no batters are hit allowing them to advance to first base... nothing. It's the ultimate feat for a pitcher, rarer than the elusive [no-hitter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No-hitter). It's only been done in Major League Baseball twenty-three times, and one of those was done during a World Series. In Japan, there have been sixty-six [no-hitters](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nippon_Professional_Baseball_no-hitters) since 1948. Fourteen of those were perfect games. To date, no one has ever pitched more than one perfect game.
> 
> When a pitcher is in the middle of what looks to be a perfect game, fans and players don't talk about it. It's considered a [jinx](https://www.newsweek.com/martha-stewart-new-york-yankees-perfect-game-jinx-582368) to do so. Pitchers are ignored by their teammates in fear that they will somehow or another screw it up. Baseball has a lot of [superstitions, curses, and rituals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baseball_superstition), some of which may seem silly but are taken very seriously by those that play the game and their diehard fans.
> 
> [Eri Yoshida](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eri_Yoshida) was drafted to play professional baseball in Japan when she was sixteen. When she was eighteen, she signed a contract to play baseball in the United States in the minor leagues. [Ila Borders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ila_Borders) received college scholarships to pitch for a men's collegiate baseball team. She also played in the minor leagues.


	3. Curvature of Space-Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Viktor and Yuuri feel the irresistible pull of gravity drawing them together.

“Georgi, do you have a moment?” Viktor asked quietly in Russian as Georgi walked into their shared office the next morning.  Georgi lifted an eyebrow at him and scooted his chair closer to Viktor’s. On the other side of the office, Beth threw them a look over her shoulder and went back to her data analysis.

“Sure,” Georgi replied, also in Russian.  “What’s going on?” 

“I need a favor,” Viktor said.  “Could you take the homework and tests of one of the students I’m supposed to grade?  I’ll take one, or two of yours in return.”

“Yeah, that’s not a problem,” Georgi said.  “But why?”

“Because I’m dating him,” Viktor said.  Georgi’s eyes lit up and he gave Viktor a warm smile.

“I am more than happy to help you out in the name of love, Viktor,” he replied.  “Who is it?”

“Yuuri Katsuki,” Viktor answered.  Beth looked back at them, her eyebrow on the rise.

“You two talking about baseball?” she asked in English.

“Yes,” Viktor answered before Georgi could say anything.  He knew the only sport Georgi cared about was figure skating.  Georgi nodded and remained silent.

Beth hummed and turned back around, resuming her work.

“Thank you,” Viktor said, switching back to Russian again. “I am in your debt.”

Georgi shook his head and smiled.  “I don’t collect debts. I’m happy to help you out.”  Viktor returned the smile and went back to his own research, grateful that he’d gotten this taken care of.

 

* * *

After class, Yuuri noticed Viktor coming towards him and hummed to himself in delight.  Last night had been wonderful. After everyone had gone, they stayed on the couch, kissing until almost midnight.  This was all still so new to Yuuri, and he felt like he was floating. It was hard to concentrate in class because instead of paying attention to the professors, he was lost in the memory of kissing Viktor.  He touched his lips, remembering how it felt to have Viktor’s lips pressed against his own and blushed.

“Hi there,” Viktor said, coming to stand in front of him.  He’d noticed Viktor has smiled all during class.

“Hello,” Yuuri replied.  

“I wanted to let you know that the Astronomy Students Association has planned a camping trip to watch the Leonid meteor shower in a couple of weeks,” Viktor said.  “Would you like to go?”

“Sure,” Yuuri replied.  He knew he had tests coming up in his other classes, so it might require a bit of juggling.  But he’d do whatever he needed to do to go on the trip with Viktor. “When is it?”

“First weekend in November,” Viktor answered.  “We’ll leave for the park on Saturday afternoon and come back on Sunday.  I figure you’ve introduced me to your friends, so it’s time for me to introduce you to mine.”

Yuuri nodded and smiled at Viktor.  He really needed to stop staring at his lips…  But the idea of going on a camping trip with Viktor and getting to meet his friends made him feel warm.  He didn’t care what he had to rearrange, he’d do it.

“I’d like that,” he said.

“Good!” Viktor said.  “I’ll text you the details later, okay?”

“Yes, please do,” Yuuri replied, shouldering his backpack.  He only had a few minutes to get to his next class and he needed to hurry.  But he didn’t mind: he’d race to class for the rest of the semester if it meant he got to talk to Viktor for a few minutes after class every day.

 

* * *

“I needed something that could hold a lot of stuff,” Viktor told Yuuri as they packed his car with the camping equipment he’d checked out from the Astronomy department.  “This was my aunt’s car and she gave it to me when I moved here. You need a lot of room when you haul around telescopes.”

Makkachin lay down in the back seat, put her head on her paws, and whined when they headed out on the road.  Yuuri was worried that she urgently needed to get out, but Viktor shook his head, smiling.

“She’s upset because you’re in her seat,” Viktor told him.  “I don’t normally have a passenger, so she’s just being fussy about having to ride in the back.”

“She could come up here and ride with me if she wanted to,” Yuuri said.  He didn’t want to upset her.

“She’s too big to run loose in the car,” Viktor replied.  “So she has to stay in the back. She’ll get over it.”

They took three cars on the trip: Viktor’s old Volvo, Mila’s little SUV, and Georgi’s truck.  Half of the equipment ended up in Viktor’s car and half ended up in the bed of Georgi’s truck.  Emil took his motorcycle and Mickey ended up riding with Viktor and Yuuri. Georgi and Anya rode in his truck while Mila and Sara ended up in her SUV.

“Are we going to wait for JJ and Isabella?” Viktor asked as everyone started getting into their respective vehicles.  Emil opened the visor on his helmet as he adjusted the chin strap.

“He texted earlier and said Isabella has to work until 5 o’clock,” Emil said.  “They’ll join us at the campsite this evening.”

Once everything was loaded, they caravanned to the closest grocery store and stocked up on supplies.  Viktor leashed Makkachin and took her into the store with them. Yuuri didn’t know anyone else except Georgi and Mickey, so he volunteered to push the cart. It would give him an opportunity to observe everyone without having to really interact.  

Mila had the list and was trying to get everyone to stick to it and not buy anything extraneous, but Emil and Mickey kept coming back with something that wasn’t on the list that they claimed absolutely had to go with them.  Emil cradled a box of graham crackers, a six pack of chocolate bars, and a bag of marshmallows in his arms while Mickey insisted they needed several different kinds of chips as well as a bottle of hot mustard to go with the hot dogs.  Sara picked out a fruit tray and at first Mila told her that they didn’t need it, but then Sara gazed longingly at Mila and sighed. 

“Go ahead and get it,” Mila said, giving in without a fight.  Sara smiled and put the tray in, then leaned over and pecked Mila on the cheek.  Yuuri noticed she turned almost as red as her hair, but said nothing.

Viktor came up behind Yuuri and rested a hand on his waist, hooking his thumb in the belt loop at the back of Yuuri’s jeans.  Yuuri smiled and looked down, trying to hide his own blush. 

Once they’d checked out (and Mila had groaned about how over budget they were) then headed down the highway to the state park.

A couple of hours later, they set up all four of the tents and Georgi started a fire to grill the hot dogs and sausages.  They sat around the fire, roasting hot dogs and marshmallows on the ends of sticks. Viktor roasted a couple of hot dogs for Makkachin and fed them to her by hand.  When Yuuri asked if he could feed her, Viktor smiled and put a few pieces in the palm of his hand. Makkachin happily nibbled up the pieces of hot dog and licked Yuuri’s palm, which tickled.  He scratched her behind the ears and she settled down beside him. Viktor looked over at her and smiled.

“It looks like you’ve made a friend,” he said.  Yuuri was glad Makkachin liked him. He really liked her.

Once Emil got excited talking about his research and forgot he had a marshmallow over the flames until it caught on fire.  Suddenly everyone was laughing and making jokes about it being a flaming meteor and hoping they could see one that good tonight.  Mila and Sara made s’mores and passed them around. 

About an hour after they arrived, they were joined by JJ and his fiancée Isabella.  Yuuri wondered why everyone quietly frowned when they showed up.

“JJ’s a bit of a showoff,” Mila explained as JJ and Isabella were getting out of the car.

“You mean he’s full of himself,” Mickey countered.

“I wasn’t going to go there,” Mila replied.

“But it is true,” Georgi said.  “He’s a showoff who’s full of himself.”

Yuuri wondered why Viktor remained silent during the exchange until a few minutes after they arrived. 

JJ talked incessantly about astronomy, explaining the origin of meteor showers in such a simplified manner as to be insulting.  Yuuri was surprised to learn that not only was JJ still an undergrad like himself, but he was actually a couple of years younger than he was.  JJ talked like he thought he was the most important person there. 

They sat around for a couple of hours eating and chatting before they headed to their respective tents for a nap.  The prime viewing wouldn’t be until 3am and there was no way they were going to stay up that long, except for Georgi.  Even Anya crawled into her tent to sleep for a while.

“How do you want to do this?” Viktor asked Yuuri once they were inside their tent.  “We could each sleep in our own bags, or we could zip them together and share.” In the dim lantern light, Viktor looked almost nervous.

“Could we zip them together?” Yuuri asked?  God, he hoped he didn’t sound as nervous as he felt.  “I think that would be nice.”

A quiet smile spread over Viktor’s face.  

“Yeah,” he replied.  “I’d like that. A lot.”

They zipped the sleeping bags together and made one big enough for both of them.  Yuuri’s nerves were jangling. He’d never shared a bed with someone before. And while this technically wasn’t a bed, he was definitely going to count it.  Now, was he supposed to take off his jeans and change, or would that be seen as being too forward? Not for the first time, Yuuri wished he had more experience in these matters.

Before he could breach the subject, Makkachin curled up in the middle of the sleeping bags, making them laugh.  Viktor shooed her off and patted a large and well-used dog bed he’d brought with him. 

“No, Makka,” he said, “you’re not sleeping with me tonight.  You sleep here.”

Makkachin whined, but only a little before she laid down on her bed.  She rested her head over her paws and sighed.

“Um, should I change?” Yuuri asked.  

“Not if you don’t want to,” Viktor said.

Yuuri nodded and slipped inside, still wearing his jeans, and fluffed up his pillow before he lay down.  Viktor sat next to the sleeping bags, long legs tucked underneath him, braiding his hair.

“It keeps it from getting tangled,” he murmured in answer to Yuuri’s questioning look.  Yuuri had never learned how to braid hair, but now he wanted to. 

The air was crisp and cool and Viktor and Yuuri snuggled up together in their shared sleeping bags, facing one another, far away from prying eyes.  Being that close and being alone, it wasn’t long before they moved forward and were kissing again. Viktor rolled over on his back and Yuuri leaned over him, kissing him deeply.  He heard Viktor sigh underneath him and felt Viktor’s arms come up around him. 

Yuuri didn’t have a lot of experience and he didn’t want to rush anything.  He pulled back and lay down beside Viktor and laced their fingers together.

“Um,” Yuuri said quietly, “I haven’t done a whole lot of this.” 

Beside him, Viktor smiled.

“That’s okay,” Viktor said, reaching out to stroke Yuuri’s hair out of his face. “Are we moving a little too fast for you?”

Yuuri nodded, hating to admit his own inexperience, but Viktor needed to know the reason for his hesitancy.  

“That’s fine,” Viktor said.  “We can take our time, you know?  We can go as fast or as slow as you want.  There’s no rush.”

Yuuri sighed in relief.  Viktor reached out and stroked his thumb over Yuuri’s lower lip.  How could that one simple action set him on fire?

“But for now,” Viktor said softly, a wicked gleam in his eyes, “I would like to kiss you again, if that’s alright.”

Yuuri closed the distance between them and sighed into the kiss.

Eventually they dozed off, wrapped in each other’s warm embrace.

Yuuri felt like he was just drifting off to sleep when the alarm on Viktor’s phone went off.  Slowly, they began to untangle themselves from one another. Sometime while they’d been asleep, Makkachin had joined them, curling up at the foot of the sleeping bags.  They slipped out of the warm cocoon of sleeping bags, found their shoes, and exited the tent. 

Above them, the sky was full of stars, glittering like diamonds against the black velvet of the night sky.  Yuuri caught his breath when he looked up and he tightened his hold on Viktor’s hand. What an amazing sight!

Georgi was still sitting in his fold out chair, sipping on a cup of warm tea.  Yuuri noticed for the first time he’d set up a camera on a tripod and trained it heavenward.  Was this part of Georgi’s research, or was it just for personal pleasure? Yuuri was beginning to understand that oftentimes it was both, which made sense.  Why chase an advanced degree if it wasn’t part of your dream?

Yuuri watched the others come out of their tents, reaching for warm cups of tea of cocoa that Georgi provided for everyone.  Blankets were laid out on the ground and Yuuri watched people lie down. He helped Viktor spread one out, then lay down beside him and looked up.

“The best way to look at a meteor shower is on your back, so you can see as much of the sky as possible,” Viktor said softly, lacing their fingers together.  “Then all you need to do is unfocus your eyes, lie down, and look up.”

“Why unfocused?” Yuuri asked softly.

“So you have a better chance of seeing something,” Viktor replied.  “Like there.” Yuuri’s eyes followed to where Viktor pointed and caught a faint movement against the backdrop of the stars.  It had only been a flash, there and gone almost before he realized it-

“That’s one!” yelled Mickey.

They spent a couple of hours lying on the ground, watching tiny blips of meteors shoot by overhead.  There were a few that covered half the sky before they burned out, leaving a rapidly disintegrating dark smudge of smoke against the stars.  Several had color, streaking across the sky in shades of electric blue or vibrant green, leaving everyone gasping in awe or laughing with delight in their wake.  Sometimes they did both. There were also several clusters, where they would get groups of meteors and their frequency greatly increased.

There was a cluster coming out of the north end of the sky when a green-tinged streak arced across the sky from the southeast. It raced across the sky for several seconds, flaring and fizzling as it crossed the sky.  Yuuri would swear he actually heard the meteor fizzle out.

“Meteor showers are caused by debris from comets,” JJ explained to no one in particular.  “The green in that one comes from magnesium.” 

Yuuri was beginning to think JJ just liked to hear himself talk.

“Thanks for the explanation, Professor LeRoy,” Mickey muttered.  “What are you going to explain next, the Big Bang? Planetary formation?”  Good-natured laughter ran around their small camp and JJ fell blissfully silent.

They lay on the ground for about an hour and a half.  The skies were still dark and would be for a couple of hours, but the frequency had diminished and Yuuri found himself yawning more and more.  And more than once, he almost fell asleep. It was so tempting, to just roll over and curl up next to Viktor…

Finally, as it was beginning to grow a little lighter in the east, Mila said that the best of the viewing was over and that they should all get some sleep.  Georgi rolled out of his chair, turned off his camera, and staggered into his tent. He looked half-asleep already. Viktor and Yuuri folded up their blanket, tucked it inside their tent, and crawled back into their sleeping bag.  

This time, Yuuri didn’t hesitate to curl up around Viktor and fall asleep.

 

* * *

Viktor woke up a few minutes before the alarm on his phone went off.  He opened his eyes to the sight of Yuuri sound asleep next to him, his dark hair mussed, the fingers of one hand loosely curled on Viktor’s chest.  He was utterly adorable. 

Viktor smiled to himself, wishing he could take a picture.   _ I could get used to waking up to this, _ he thought, and realized in that moment that he was falling in love. 

He lay there for a moment, basking in the realization.  All they had done physically was kiss and cuddle. How could he already be falling in  _ love _ ?

When the alarm went off, Viktor watched Yuuri frown and sigh in his sleep, then open his eyes.  At first, Yuuri was groggy, but when he focused on Viktor lying beside him, he blinked and smiled, soft and radiant.

Viktor’s heart skipped a beat and he smiled in response.  

Yes, he could  _ definitely _ get used to this.

Breaking camp and repacking the car seemed to take three times as long as getting there.  But finally the car was loaded and they were heading home. As they pulled out of the park, Yuuri reached over and put his hand on Viktor’s thigh, a bold move for him.  Viktor reached down and rested his hand over Yuuri’s, letting him know he enjoyed the contact. Slowly, Yuuri turned his hand over and laced their fingers together. Viktor looked over at Yuuri and saw the sweet, shy smile on his face.

They held hands the whole way back to campus.  Yuuri helped him unpack and haul the equipment into the building.  When the elevator closed, Yuuri backed him into the corner and kissed him.  Yuuri pulled away when the elevator stopped and by the time the doors opened, there was nothing to give away what they had been doing just seconds before.  

Viktor was grateful he had something large and bulky he could carry to the storage room.  It hid the front of his jeans very nicely.

When Viktor dropped off Yuuri at his apartment, he parked the car.  He had to get home and work on his research, so he couldn’t stay. But they ended up making out in the car for almost half an hour in the parking lot anyway.

Viktor watched Yuuri climb the stairs and go inside.  Why did it hurt so much to watch him walk away? He’d text Yuuri when he got home.  He’d see Yuuri tomorrow in class. But it wasn’t the same. He wanted to be near Yuuri, in his physical presence.  He wanted to bask in the quiet, shy glow that was Yuuri. Waking up to the sight of him asleep this morning had been heaven and he never wanted it to end.

Sighing, Viktor put the car in drive and pulled out of the parking lot.  The sooner he got home, the sooner he could text Yuuri.

There was only a month left in the semester.  A part of him felt anxious at the thought, because it meant that he wouldn’t see Yuuri any more in class.  But once the semester was over, they could be more open about their relationship. Yuuri wouldn’t be in a class where he was partly responsible for his grade.  But what were Yuuri’s plans for the future? Viktor knew he was going to graduate in May. And Viktor was going to finally finish his Masters’ degree in May, too.  He’d always planned to continue on and earn his doctorate. He’d already been accepted to the doctoral program. But his uncle had let him know he could come work for him now if he wanted.

Going to work for Feltsman Aerospace would mean another move, this time to California.  But he wouldn’t have to worry about pursuing his education any further. He wasn’t entirely certain he wanted to.  One thing he’d never realized was how much of his time would be spent on trying to find funding for his research. Writing grant proposals was a laborious process, but people didn’t just give you money.  You had to actively seek them out and ask for it and show them how it would benefit them. But he spent almost half of his time writing those proposals, time he’d rather spend involved in research and unlocking the secrets of the universe.  It seemed perverse and a waste of time to have to beg for money. 

He should ask Yuuri what he intended to do.  And he should figure out just how far they wanted to take this.  Because if Yuuri felt the same way, if Yuuri was falling for him the way he was falling for Yuuri, they had a lot to figure out in a short amount of time.

 

* * *

Yuuri closed the door behind him, went to the window, and watched Viktor drive away.  Without realizing it, he sighed and leaned his head on the glass.

Why was it so hard watching Viktor leave?  

“Hey, Yuuri,” Phichit said, startling him.  Yuuri jumped and dropped his bag on the floor.  Phichit apologized and motioned for Yuuri to join him on the couch.

“How was it?” Phichit asked once he’d gotten settled.

“Good, it was good,” Yuuri answered.  “I had a really good time.”

“Then why do you look so glum?” Phichit replied.  “You look sad.”

Yuuri looked down at his hands knotted together in his lap and sighed.  

“I already miss Viktor.”

Phichit raised one eyebrow and pursed his lips.

“Honey, he literally just left.  You spent the better part of an hour making out with him in the car.”

“You saw?” Yuuri said, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks.

“Yep,” Phichit said, “and so did half of the complex.  You two put on quite the show.”

“Oh my God,” Yuuri muttered, burying his face in his hands.

“Don’t worry about it!” Phichit said.  “Hell, it’s about time!  Next time invite him in and quit teaching little kids about the birds and the bees!”

“All we did is kiss!” Yuuri protested.  

“This time.  But next time…” Phichit teased, wagging a finger at him.  “Yuuri, have him sleep over. I’ll go spend the night at Jessica and Mario’s and give you two some space so nature can take its course, okay?  You’re both grown adults. Don’t make out in a parked car on a Sunday afternoon in front of God and everybody like a couple of horny teenagers who don’t have anyplace else to go.”

Yuuri bit his lip and huffed out a breath.  Of all people to have  _ the talk _ with, it had to be Phichit.  

But maybe Phichit was right.  Viktor was an excellent kisser, and Yuuri wondered what else he’d be excellent at.  God, did he  _ ever _ want to find out.  

Yuuri sighed.  Falling asleep next to Viktor had been wonderful.  And it had been wonderful to wake up next to him as well.  Viktor didn’t seem to care that he had a few extra pounds or glasses or that he was awkward around people.  Viktor didn’t care that he had a famous older sister.  When they talked, Viktor acted like there was no one else around.  Viktor was genuinely interested in him and Yuuri didn’t know what to do.

Early that morning, as they lay on the blanket watching the meteors shoot overhead, Yuuri had wished on one of them.  As it arced across the sky, he had squeezed Viktor’s hand and had silently wished that he could stay by Viktor’s side for the rest of his life.  When Viktor had squeezed his hand back, Yuuri had almost cried for joy, but he knew that Viktor hadn’t known he’d done something so silly as wish on a falling star, he just responded to Yuuri squeezing his hand.  

“You _do_ want to go further, right?” Phichit asked, startling Yuuri out of his train of thought.  

“Yeah,” Yuuri whispered.  “I just don’t know what he wants.”

“Well, talk to him, silly,” Phichit replied.  “He’s obviously interested. If that first date was as bad as you said it was and he still agreed to come over for another date  _ and _ invited you on a camping trip with his friends, I think you’re probably okay.  So quit moping, sit him down, talk to him, and figure it out. And pick up some condoms and lube the next time you’re at the store.”

Yuuri snorted and shot Phichit a look.  

“Speaking of which, we need to go to the store,” Phichit said.  “We’re out of apples and we’re almost out of toilet paper. I’m going with you.  You always get the cheap stuff.  Do you want to shower first, or should we just go?”

“Give me half an hour to shower and get dressed?”  Yuuri asked.

“Sure,” Phichit replied.  “Any longer than that and I’ll assume you’re jacking off in there ‘cause your man left you all hot and bothered.”

_ “Phichit!” _ Yuuri screeched, tossing the nearest throw pillow at his best friend.  Phichit caught the pillow and howled with laughter as Yuuri headed off to his bathroom to get clean.

Since Yuuri only took twenty minutes to shower, Phichit never knew how close to the mark his guess was.

 

* * *

 

The next month was hectic and busy, very busy.  Yuuri and Viktor only got to see each other a handful of times outside of class.  Yuuri was studying for finals and Viktor was completing observations and calculations for his research.  They made room in their packed schedules to see one another on Friday nights, which usually meant dinner and a walk in one of the parks by campus, followed by a hot and heavy makeout session on the couch or in the car.  

In late November, Viktor ended up spending the night by accident.  They fell asleep on Yuuri’s bed, talking and cuddling. Yuuri woke up in the morning and saw Viktor lying next to him, his long hair fanned out over the pillow, and smiled to himself.  He hoped there would be more mornings like this soon.

Yuuri was nervous on their last date before finals.  He would only see Viktor in class one more time. As much as he looked forward to being more open about their relationship, he would miss looking up and seeing Viktor there.

“You’re very quiet tonight,” Viktor said, scooping up a bite of saag paneer with a piece torn off of his naan bread.  “Are you worried about finals?”

Yuuri shook his head.  Finals always made him tense and anxious, but this time he was more worried about Viktor and is future plans.

“What are you going to do after you get your degree?” Yuuri asked, feeling bold.

“I’m not sure yet,” Viktor answered.  “I’ve been accepted to the doctoral program here, but I was considering taking a position with Feltsman Aerospace.”

“You can get a position with them with only a master’s?” Yuuri blurted, immediately realizing that it sounded like he was saying a master’s degree wasn’t good enough.  

“Sorry!” Yuuri said.  “I only meant-”

Viktor’s light laugh was almost musical.  

“I’m not insulted,” Viktor said.  “Yes, I can get a position with them with only a master’s.  I could have gone to work for them with just a bachelor’s. My uncle is the founder.”

Yuuri sputtered and almost choked.

“Your uncle is  _ Yakov Feltsman _ , the former cosmonaut that defected from the Soviet Union?”  Yuuri blinked and swallowed. “He’s your  _ uncle _ ?  Oh my God!  Why didn’t you tell me?”

Viktor shrugged and gave him a wan smile.  “Same reason you didn’t mention your sister was the first woman to play for the Dodgers.  I didn’t want special treatment because of who I’m related to.”

Yuuri looked down at his plate of tandoori chicken and basmati rice, nodding.  

“I… I understand,” he said after a minute.  And then Viktor asked him, “So, have you decided what to do?  You’re due to graduate in May. Are you staying here and continuing your education, or are you going back to Japan?”

Yuuri laid his fork down on the plate and sighed.  

“I’m not sure yet,” Yuuri said.  “I’d always planned to go back, but now…”  Yuuri looked up from his plate and gazed at Viktor.   _ ‘I really want to stay with you,’ _ he thought _.  ‘Wherever you go, I want to go with you.’ _

Viktor smiled back and reached for Yuuri’s hand across the table.

“Let’s talk about it again once we get past finals, okay?”

Yuuri nodded and looked down, wishing that finals were already done.

 

* * *

After finals, Yuuri flew home to spend the break with his family and Viktor flew out to visit his aunt and uncle in Los Angeles.  Right away, his Aunt Lilia spotted the mark Yuuri had accidentally left on Viktor’s neck while they were making out in the back seat of Yuuri’s car.

“Don’t let Yakov see that,” she said.  But his uncle did see it. He hummed and grumbled, “So this is why it’s taking you so long to finish your degree.”  Later in the week, when Viktor was Facetiming with Yuuri, Yakov mumbled, “Is that the boy who marked you?” Yuuri heard him and blushed a most attractive shade of pink.

The next time they Facetimed, Mari grabbed Yuuri’s phone and proceeded to talk to Viktor for almost fifteen minutes.

“So you’re Viktor,” she said, peering at him seriously.  Viktor felt like she was sizing him up. 

“You are all my little brother talks about.  It’s ‘Viktor’ this and ‘Viktor’ that. If you hurt him…” Mari trailed off and stared at him like she was facing down a batter.  

“I can throw a ball at ninety miles an hour.  You don’t want to know how it feels to be hit with one.”

Viktor blinked, taken aback.  Was she threatening him? But then she smiled and laughed, and he breathed a sigh of relief.  

When Mari finally handed the phone back to Yuuri, he explained that his sister was very overprotective.  

“She started pitching because I was bullied for being fat,” Yuuri said quietly.  “The kids that bullied me were bigger than either one of us, so she started throwing rocks at them so they would leave me alone.  One of the kids was on the baseball team and his dad was the coach. He saw the bruises and wanted to know where they came from, because he knew they weren’t from practice.  The kid told him my sister hit him with rocks. His dad went to my parents and asked if Mari had even played baseball and asked her to try out for the team. She started playing when I was seven.”

“We went to her games and I’d figure out her stats in my head while she was playing,” Yuuri continued.  “My dad was so impressed that he started showing me the books for the family business, but it was nothing serious.  When I was eleven, he’d have me look over everything and double check his math. He made a lot of mistakes, so I took over the books when I was twelve.  I helped her become a baseball player and she helped me become a math major.”

On Viktor’s birthday, Yuuri Facetimed him and not only wished him a happy birthday, but also Happy Isaac Newton’s Birthday.  Yakov overheard that part of the conversation and went out on the balcony to give Viktor privacy. At dinner that night, Yakov looked at him and said, “That was the same boy who left that mark on your neck, yes?  Well, any boy who calls you from Japan and who knows that today is Isaac Newton’s birthday, as well as yours, is a good catch.”

Viktor got back a few days before Yuuri and picked him up at the airport.  Poor Yuuri was exhausted and fell asleep in the car, which Viktor found endearing.  Once Yuuri had gotten over his jetlag, Viktor invited him over for dinner and to spend the night on the Friday before classes started.

“My roommate won’t be there,” Viktor said as they talked over coffee at their favorite coffee shop by campus.  Normally, they would have been out on the patio, but a cold front had blown in the night before and the forecast called for freezing rain and possible snow over the weekend.

“It would just be the two of us,” Viktor said, feeling hopeful.

“I’d like that,” Yuuri said, reaching out and brushing the back of Viktor’s hand with his fingertips.  

“So you’ll come?” Viktor asked.

“Yes,” Yuuri replied.  He looked at Viktor over the top of his glasses, his dark brown eyes smoldering.  “And so will you.” 

Viktor felt the heat rising to his cheeks and smiled.

“Oh, this is going to be a good night,” Viktor said.  “A  _ very _ good night.”

 

* * *

“So,” Viktor murmured as they ate roasted chicken and potatoes, “have you come to any decisions about what you’re going to do after you graduate?”

Yuuri looked at him and sighed.  Suddenly, Viktor felt nervous. Was this good or bad?

“I have,” Yuuri said, gathering his courage.  “I’m not going back to Japan. I’ve decided that I want to do whatever you’re doing.  If you stay here to pursue your doctorate, then I want to stay here, too. If you decide to take a position working for your uncle at Feltsman Aerospace and move to California, then I want to move with you, too.  I- I don’t want to be apart from you, Viktor. I know that probably sounds crazy and like we’re moving too fast, but I know how I feel. And that’s what I want. Have- have you decided yet what you’re going to do?”

Viktor smiled at Yuuri through the sudden tears in his eyes.  

“The only thing I want is to be with you,” Viktor said.  “Here, California, Japan… it doesn’t matter. If you’d gone back, I would have found a way to follow you.”

When they made it to Viktor’s candlelit bedroom, Yuuri suddenly turned shy.  At first, Viktor thought he was having second thoughts about spending the night or going further this time.  But then Yuuri leaned over and started blowing out the candles.

“Yuuri-” Viktor began, only to be silenced by Yuuri’s lips against his.  Yuuri pulled back and looked down.

“I don’t want you to see me,” Yuuri whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek.

“Yuuri, why?” Viktor asked, taken aback.  He reached out and brushed the hair out of Yuuri’s face.  

“Because I’m overweight,” Yuuri said.  Viktor slid his hands under Yuuri’s chin and tilted it up until Yuuri was looking at him.

“You are beautiful,” Viktor whispered reverently, placing a small kiss on every knuckle of his fingers. “Every single part of you is beautiful.  I don’t care if you have a few extra kilos, okay? I love  _ you _ , not your body.”  

Tears rolled down Yuuri’s face and he breathed, “You… you love me?”

Viktor smoothed away the tears with his fingertips.

“I do,” Viktor replied.  “I do love you. Very much.  Could we keep the candles lit while we make love for the first time?  I… I want to see you. But if you’d be more comfortable in the dark-”

Yuuri surged up and kissed him, long and slow.  When he pulled back, all the shyness and uncertainty was gone.  

“Let’s go to bed,” Yuuri murmured, leading Viktor to the bed by the hand.

* * *

 

 

In the morning, Viktor woke to the sight of Yuuri lying beside him, propped up on one elbow, watching him sleep.  When Yuuri realized that Viktor was awake, he leaned over and kissed him, then curled up next to him.

“I was just thinking I could really get used to this,” Yuuri said softly.  Viktor hummed and rolled over so that they faced one another. They moved closer, kissing and caressing, bare skin on bare skin.  Viktor was about to roll Yuuri onto his back when a soft scratching at his door interrupted him.

Yuuri chuckled and said, “I think someone needs to go out.”  

Viktor gave Yuuri a quick kiss, then rose from the bed to let Makkachin out.

A world of white greeted Viktor as he opened the back door and Makkachin bolted out.  He gasped and opened the door wide, entranced by the snow covering the ground.

As Makkachin finished up and raced back to the open door, Viktor felt Yuuri’s arms encircle his waist from behind.  Yuuri pulled Viktor close and placed kisses on his shoulders.

“Showing off to the world?” Yuuri teased and Viktor laughed.  “Come get dressed. Let’s make breakfast.”

Viktor let Yuuri shoo him off to the bedroom and he slipped his underwear and jeans back on.  He was looking for his shirt, but didn’t see it until he went back into the kitchen and saw Yuuri was wearing it, along with his boxer briefs.   _ Damn _ , but Yuuri looked good with his tousled hair and Viktor’s “You Are Here” t-shirt…

“I hope you don’t mind,” Yuuri said as he pulled eggs and milk out of the refrigerator.  “I couldn’t find my shirt, so I borrowed yours. Sorry.” 

Viktor smirked.  Yuuri didn’t sound like he was one bit sorry.

“I don’t mind at all,” Viktor said, getting out the flour, a mixing bowl, and a wire whisk.  “Do you like pancakes?”

A little while later, as they sat curled up in bed eating pancakes with strawberry jam, Yuuri’s phone buzzed with a text.  Instead of racing off to grab his phone and answer it, Yuuri fed Viktor pancakes. And when a little of the jam dribbled onto Viktor’s chest, Yuuri leaned over and licked it off.

Viktor was content to let things proceed as they would, but Yuuri’s phone went off again and again.  After the fourth text in as many minutes, Yuuri reluctantly sat up.

“It could be Phichit,” Yuuri said, getting up from their warm and comfortable nest of blankets to retrieve his phone.  “He said he was going out last night and he has no idea how to drive in ice or snow. Let me see if it’s him. I’ll be right back.”

The last thing Viktor expected was the cry of surprise that came from Yuuri, followed up a laugh.  Yuuri walked back into the bedroom, curled up next to Viktor, and handed him his phone. 

“Look at this,” Yuuri said, laughing and smiling.

Viktor scrolled through the messages.  There were several texts from Phichit, every one of them in all caps.  

The first one was a selfie Phichit had taken in bed, a worried expression on his face, leaning over the side of the bed so as not to disturb the blond sound asleep next to him.  

10:02: WHO IS THIS?!!? 

10:03: FUCK YUURI DO YOU KNOW WHO THE FUCK THIS IS????

10:03: HE’S CUTE BUT I DON’T KNOW WHO THE HELL HE IS OMFG

10:04: OMG YUURI I NEED HELP- DO YOU KNOW WHO IS THIS???

10:05: YUURI…  OMG YUURI IF YOU’RE OVER THERE GETTING FUCKED AGAIN AND IGNORI-

Viktor dropped the phone on the bed and leaned over, laughing into Yuuri’s shoulder.  

“Oh my God, our roommates hooked up,” Viktor gasped out.  “Should we tell him?”

“Hell no,” Yuuri giggled.  “At least not yet. Phichit thinks I’m ‘getting fucked again’.”  Yuuri turned off his phone, put it on the nightstand, placed his glasses next to his phone.  And moved the plates to the floor.

“Maybe we should prove him right,” Yuuri said, straddling Viktor’s lap and leaning in to kiss Viktor.

 

* * *

Two years later, Yuuri sat next to Viktor in Dodger Stadium on Opening Day, waiting for Mari to throw out her first pitch of the season.  Next to Yuuri, Toshiya took a bite of his hot dog and settled his cup of beer in the holder in his seat. 

“Look,” Hiroko said, pointing to the JumboTron, “they’re doing the ‘Kiss Cam’ again!”  The young couple on the screen dissolved into giggles before they kissed. The view switched and an elderly couple appeared.  They smiled, kissed, and waved to the camera. The view switched again and this time, Yuuri saw that he and Viktor were the ones on the screen.

Yuuri gasped, his hand flying to his mouth.  Oh my God, were they really-?

“Yuuri!” Phichit cried from the end of the aisle, leaning over Chris’ lap and his order of nachos.  “You’re on the ‘Kiss Cam’!”

Viktor looked up and saw them on the screen.  He squeezed Yuuri’s hand and smiled.

“Let’s give them a show,” Viktor said as he leaned in.  Yuuri turned to his husband and kissed him tenderly. Viktor pulled Yuuri closer and picked up Yuuri’s hand, showing off their matching rings to the camera and the crowd.

Vaguely, Yuuri was aware that the crowd was cheering.  After a moment, he pulled back, his hand laced with Viktor’s, and nuzzled Viktor’s cheek.

“Love you,” he whispered to his husband.

“Love you, too,” Viktor replied, never looking away from Yuuri.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rating change to reflect the last chapter. Thank you all so much for reading this fic! I appreciate all the kudos, comments, shares, and bookmarks! Y'all rock!

**Author's Note:**

> Had it not been for the lovely and wonderful Adrianna99, this fic would never have seen the light of day. Thank you, my dear, for encouraging me to finally sit down and write it. :-)


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